Please settle into your comfortable meditation position.
Ensure your knees and hips are relaxed,
Your spine is vertical,
The back of the neck long and the chin gently tucked in.
Rest your hands on your thighs.
Close your eyes and start bringing your attention to the breath.
The breath work you are about to do aims to relax and ground you.
It is especially helpful when you feel overwhelmed or deal with stress and anxiety.
Slowing down the exhalations,
Breathing abdominally and focusing the mind on the breath have a very calming and soothing effect on the nervous system and the mind.
Breathe through the nostrils and start deepening the breath.
Send your breath all the way down to the abdomen so that when you breathe in you feel your belly rising.
When you breathe out,
Feel your abdomen falling back toward the spine.
Breath in,
The belly is rising.
Breath out,
The belly is falling toward the spine.
If you find it challenging to feel this movement,
Place one hand on your belly.
Please continue breathing like this for a few more moments.
Have the intention to establish a smooth,
Silent breath.
Inhalation is rising,
Exhalation is falling.
Notice that just by doing that,
Breathing abdominally,
You already start feeling more grounded and calm.
Meditatively breathing is a very soothing and relaxing practice by itself.
Let's start lengthening the exhalations.
Breathing the same way,
Feeling the natural movement of your abdomen.
But now,
You will add the breath count.
So exhale completely and the next inhalation will be for 4.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Exhale 2,
3,
4.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Exhale for 5,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Exhale for 6,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Exhale 6,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Please continue counting internally.
If you feel comfortable extending the exhalation even more,
Please extend it to the 8 counts.
Inhale for 4.
Exhale for 6 or 8 counts.
Please continue.
If you lose your focus and start thinking about something,
Return to your breath count.
Inhale for 4.
Exhale for 6 or 8 counts.
As you continue with this pattern,
Be aware that you are sending a signal to the mind and body to relax,
To settle into the present moment.
With each exhalation sense you are letting go of worry,
Tension and stress,
Anything you don't need.
As if every exhalation disperses your thoughts and empties the mind.
Allow yourself to surrender to this rhythm of your breath.
Please take 3 more full rounds of this breath ratio.
Inhalation for 4 and exhalation for 6 or 8 counts.
Let go of the breath count and let your breath flow freely.
Notice how your breath feels right now.
Notice how you feel in this moment,
How your body feels and how your mind is.
For the last minute of this meditation,
Breathe intentionally into the abdomen.
Focus just on the movement of your abdomen as you breathe.
Just effortless awareness of the breath.
Be here and now.
When you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
